LV= has launched its new investment platform for advisers in partnership with Embark, as part of its plan to “broaden access” to its range of smoothed managed fund (SMF) investments.
The new service, which was first announced in February last year, will provide more advisers and investors with access to these funds.
The LV= branded service has been developed using Embark’s platform technology and as part of a white-label partnership.
It can be accessed directly from LV=’s recently-launched Adviser Portal, as an additional service that can be selected alongside its existing ‘Packaged Service’ option – which includes Bonds, SIPP and ISA wrappers, and fixed term annuities.
The integration of the new platform service into the LV= adviser journey means advisers will be provided with a single view of their clients’ portfolios, irrespective of which service options they select. Customers can also view their investments through LV=’s digital ‘My LV=’ portal.
LV= managing director of protection, savings and retirement Clive Bolton said: “LV’s range of Smoothed Managed Funds are popular with advisers seeking access to investment solutions that materially reduce volatility for more cautious investors who are less comfortable living with investment risk.
“The funds’ smoothing mechanism is unique in the market, and based on the previous 26-week daily rolling averaging of the underlying fund price. It is therefore easy to understand, simple for advisers to explain to their clients and in smoothing out the day-to-day volatility of the markets enables them to be more confident about how they can design and provide a more composed investment experience for their customers.
“Up until now advisers typically have to make a choice to shape a client’s investment solutions using either a provider’s ’off-platform’ insured products alongside other selected fund options versus an ‘on-platform’ wider range of fund options with a typically more digitised and efficient user journey.
“We think that this on and off-platform separation is unhelpful and that advisers should increasingly be able to efficiently access the benefits of both our insured options such as LV= smoothed managed funds and also our fixed-term annuities, alongside wider on-platform funds options, including modelled portfolios and discretionary fund solutions.
“Through our partnership with Embark and by deploying their award-winning technology and services inside our adviser support and user journey, we’re removing that separation; offering more flexibility for advisers to build solutions that best serve their customers’ needs and preferences and we believe will be of increasing appeal for advisers looking for ways to reduce volatility by accessing an element of smoothing into a client’s investment portfolio.
“Access via platform technology is part of a series of improvements made over the last couple of years to update the SMF range and make it easier for advisers to write business with LV=.”
Ranila Ravi Burslem – intermediary distribution director at Embark Group – added: “We have invested significantly in making our technology available for white label partners to use their way.
“It is a resounding endorsement of our position as a trusted white label provider that LV= have been able to bring their Smoothed Managed Funds to advisers via a platform in such an integrated way.
“LV’s partnership with us illustrates the value of Lloyds Banking Group’s continued investment in our platform and white labelling capabilities to capture the momentum and growth we are seeing in the adviser market.”
